The Jewler and the Young Maiden
by MelancholyAndBlithe
Summary: Even though Riften is an awful place, riddled with thievery, deceit, adultery, and bigotry, love could find the room to bloom there as well. Madesi harbors an attraction to a resident young Nord woman who has a kind heart much too big for a place like this. Though she pines for another man, stranger things have happened, and Madesi may luck out.
1. Chapter 1

Svana was exhausted. She let the broom she was using lean against the wall while she stretched out her hands, which are sore, aching and covered in callouses. She sighed, disappointed with how weary her voice sounded. It couldn't have been any later than the evening. That means she'd still have several more hours of work ahead of her before she could finally lay down and sleep for the night. She shuffled her feet, wincing at how sore the soles of them were every time her weight shifted, and made her way to the front counter of the bunkhouse. A Riften guard exited her aunt Haelga's back room, his armor mostly intact save for his helmet. He looked relaxed and if Svana hadn't known the exact reason why he was as such, she'd envy him. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a full night's rest or any time to really unwind.

He scratched his stubble covered chin, casting a look back at Haelga, who came out of her room straightening out her touseled hair with an equally relaxed demeanor radiating off of her. She met his look with a smile that reminded Svana of a wolf who'd just killed a rather satisfying prey. Or would it be more fitting to call her a saber cat? The guard looked to be at least ten years Haelga's junior. He seemed to be aware of Svana's presence, his eyes darting to her and looking back at Haelga a bit awkwardly after receiving a rather disgusted look from the younger Nord woman. Her lips curled down severely, nose crinkled while her arms crossed over her chest. It was obvious she didn't like what she was observing. Haelga, however, paid no mind to her niece. The guard cleared his throat unnecessarily, moving his helmet around in his hands as if trying to preoccupy himself with something.

"So, maybe we can do this again sometime?" He asked. Svana saw her aunt grin before fixing the collar of her dress, leaning over the counter to give the young man a good view of her chest.

"Eager aren't we?" She smiled wider when a blush painted his cheeks and the shell of his ears. "Perhaps. It would not be unwelcome if you were to call on me again, my dear." She purred. The young man smiled and nodded, giving her his thanks. He exited and afterwards Haelga reached for the book that was on the counter, flipping it over to a dog-eared page. She let out an easy sigh, her eyes scanning the pages of the book. Aware of her niece still standing there, she rolled her eyes ever so slightly, looking in her direction.

"Is there a problem? Is your work done? You seem to be unfocused again." She commented. Svana frowned, approaching the counter.

"Aunt Halega..." She began, her eyes softening in concern and a hint of curiosity. Haelga observed that her niece looked tired. Too tired. Her dark circles were becoming more prominent against her fair skin and her hair was positively disheveled, and not in a more positive means. She didn't understand though. The bunkhouse certainly wasn't _that_ dirty, was it? If she just focused more instead of daydreaming all day, she'd have had the place cleaned hours ago. "Why do you...you know...demean yourself with these men you barely even know? They hardly even know your name, let alone love you." Haelga could've laughed at her niece's naivete. What did love have to do with any of this? Poor girl is too innocent. Maybe she could stand to be...taken care of once in a while too?

"Oh my dear, it's just for fun. You're a lovely little thing. Maybe you should try it sometime. It certainly wouldn't be very difficult for you." She made the suggestion and almost scoffed at the way the girl's face twisted into a cringe. At this, she put the book down again. Maybe she'd have to wait a bit longer to get any reading done.

"I would never! I'm saving myself for someone special to me. Someone who loves me." Haelga raised an eyebrow at the look her niece took on. She wasn't even looking at the older woman anymore, but at the counter's surface, trailing her fingertips idly on the lines in the wood, a coy but obviously lovestruck smile adorning her features.

"You mean that Sibbi?" Now him. _He_ was probably someone even Haelga wouldn't want to have anything to do with. Crooked little bastard. But maybe having him stab Svana in the back would be just the lesson she'd need. Maybe afterwards she'd stop being such a prude. She got her answer in the pointed glare that she was given. "You must be joking. He just wants to bed you and be done with it. Perhaps you should just-" She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "get it out of the way."

"You're wrong!" Svana's voice raised. Haelga didn't flinch. She just watched with her face schooled into a bored expression. "Sibbi and I are in love and you're just jealous!" At this, Haelga actually let out a barking laugh.

"You naive girl. You're more deluded than I thought." Haelga's casual remark and matching attitude were a stark contrast to Svana's rigid and angry one.

"I'm no more deluded than you! You who thinks that, that, these _trysts_ are nothing to worry about! That degrading yourself is perfectly acceptable and sleeping with married men is something normal! Well, I have respect for myself." Her voice lowers as she steps away from the counter, her eyes rimmed red, making her look even more ghastly. "Because someone in this awful building has to have some."

Now _that_ made Haelga angry. Svana wasn't always mouthy, but when she was, the usually took it too far trying to make one of her little points. It was usually about her worship of Dibella.

"I have plenty of respect for myself, thank you. It's better than being a prude." Haelga remarked cooly, though her tone had a waspish edge to it. She picked up her book, flipping it back to her marked page, refusing to look at the girl. "Get out of my sight. I don't care where you go, but I don't want you here. Might as well be gone with how dirty the place still is." Her comment was dripping with poison and Svana left, slamming the door behind her, not caring that she'd have to answer for it later.

Speaking of Sibbi, she decided she might take to Mistveil Keep to see him for a little while.

* * *

Svana left the keep, disappointed when the guards said that there was only one visitor allowed per prisoner and that Sibbi had already been seeing someone. Her shoulders slumped as she looked up at the sky. It was getting later. She must've been trying to convince the guard to let her in longer than she thought. Magnus was about to set for the day, allowing the twin moons to ascend and begin their long dance across the sky over Nirn. She was also irked because the guard didn't even bother to tell her who the other visitor was. Said it was none of her business. She supposed he might've been right about that, but she was just curious. And if it were simply his horrid mother or one of his siblings, she didn't see why it would've been a problem to just tell her.

Rumors circulated around Riften said he was incarcerated due to a murder. Something to do with his bride to be figuring out that he had another woman and he killed her brother after being confronted by said man. Svana had trouble believing that Sibbi would so such a thing. He was a good man! Perhaps the only good Black-Briar in the family other than Ingun.

She was now by the well in the center of the plaza, looking down on the old wooden planks covering the opening to the cistern. She believed the Thieves' Guild boarded up the well years ago to allot more privacy in their hideaway. The wood was pale and dusty with age, giving off the distinct scent of mildew and moisture, even from outside the well. It could've also been the cistern itself, but no doubt the planks soaked up quite a bit of the odor over the years.

Some people began to close down their stalls for the day. Grelka was the first, heading straight to the Bee and Bard after closing the sliding doors under her stall and making her way to a good night of drinking away her frustrations. Next was Marise, who simply draped a cloth tarp over her goods to keep them concealed overnight and rolled her shoulders from the long day she had. Balimund met up with Grelka, opening the door for her to the facility. He usually didn't imbibe alcohol, but he must've wanted to for some reason or another today. Maybe everyone had a long day today. Not that they usually _weren't_ , but today must've called for some stress relief of some sort.

The only one who was still closing up shop was Madesi. He was checking his display case, the sliding doors underneath the stall and writing down inventory with the use of a thin stick of charcoal and worn parchment. Svana looked at him and smiled weakly. He was a nice man too, Madesi was. She thought it was unfair that he slept in that squalor under the city, and so near the Thieves' Guild. After the incident with Brand Shei being linked to them with Madesi's ring in his pocket, she felt even more worried about him. She wished that Haelga would just let him stay in the inn for a little while. Or even Keerava. Surely she wouldn't have a problem with him staying in the Bee and Barb for even one night would she? Did he truly have no money to afford staying at the inn?

The young woman walked to Madesi, still wearing her smile. Whilst closing the doors under his stall, Madesi caught sight of her and offered a smile of his own, if not a bit annoyed with the prospect of a customer coming to his stall at the last possible second.

"Ah, Svana. If you're looking to buy something, I could stand to re open my case." He's a friendly business man and Svana appreciates that. He's not jaded like Grelka or shady like Brynjolf.

"Oh no, I'm not here for jewelry. Actually, I wanted to speak with you." She replies, earning a curious look from the Argonian.

"What about? And why aren't you back at the bunkhouse?" He asks, leaning forward on the stall's surface, arms crossed casually in front of him as he regards her and her newfound flinch at the mention at her aunt's business.

"We had an argument." Svana waves her hand in dismissal before rubbing her forehead as if to relieve a headache forming there.

"My apoligies." Madesi offers, checking his stall one last time after saying such, walking out from behind it and standing in front of her.

"It's hardly your fault. I just...I don't understand her." Svana admits, earning a small concerned frown from the salesman. "She's incorrigible! How can she just...just...do the things she does?" Svanna makes arm motions with her speaking that despite the subject matter has Madesi smiling ever so slightly. As she's ranting, he's observing her. Poor woman. Dark circles, pale skin, and grimy hair. She's still quite lovely despite her disheveled appearance but he is disappointed that she has to let her health slip to keep the bunkhouse in order. Even her clothes were covered in soot and filth. He's been over there enough to know that Haelga gives her quite a substantial heap of chores to do to keep the place running. And he always finds it upsetting that the older woman barely lifts a finger to help. Ever.

"What things are you mad about specifically, if you don't mind me asking?" Madesi tilts his head ever so slightly, inviting her to continue, giving her his undivided attention. He hadn't really had extended conversation with Svana before, but he had enjoyed whatever company she was willing or able to give when he'd drop by the bunkhouse to eat. They were never very long due to Haelga never letting him stay very long or had always barked at her niece to get back to work, cutting their interactions short. Svanna let out a long suffering sigh.

"Do you have time?" She asks, scanning his face for any signs of previous engagements. Madesi smiles and nods affirmatively.

"For a friend? Always." He replies.

* * *

"And then she tells me to get out of her sight and insults my cleaning! The gall! She should try lifting something other than her legs once and a while. Like a gods damned broom." Svana angrily rants, halfway done with a bottle of ale while Madesi listens, halfheartedly eating a cream treat and a salmon steak. He's surprised she was willing to spill all of this out in the open.

She invited him to a small meal and a drink at the Bee and Barb, which he graciously accepted, if nothing else, to help her with a problem she was having, even if it just were lending a friendly ear. It turned out to run deeper than he thought, however, and he was glad he took her offer so she could have someone to talk to. He hadn't taken a drink, figuring it might be better if he were sober when she was venting.

"I'm...sorry." Madesi draws out slowly, not knowing what else to say. He'd always figured Haelga was a bit of a whore but he didn't know the extent of it, nor did he know how harsh the woman could be towards her own family. It was obvious Svana despised the older woman.

"It's okay." Svana rests her elbow on the table, lowering her head into the palm of her upturned hand and, turning the bottle around in a full circle using her free hand. "I just wish someone would come along and put her in her place. Just once." She looks up at Madesi, who's finishing his cream treat and smiles lightly. "I'm sorry about spilling all of my burdens out to you. But for what it's worth, it's nice to have someone who will listen." She manages, making the Argonian let out a breath of laughter, a smile stretching his mouth. Firelight reflected off of his scales in odd patterns. Svana found it interesting.

"Anytime." He simply says before standing up, pushing his chair in.

"Wait, where are you going?" She stops him.

"I'm heading down to get some rest. I'll see you later, Svana." He tries to dismiss himself once more. This time, Svana gets up, stopping him by gently grabbing his wrist, making him turn back around to face her. A couple patrons glanced over, but a majority of those who did returned to their drink or their meal. "Yes?" He asked, confused.

"Why do you sleep down there and so near the Thieves' Guild? You could stay here in the Bee and Barb? I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Svana dropped her hand, giving him freedom over his wrist again. Not that she had had a particularly strong grip on it to begin with, but still. Madesi shook his head, a small smile coming to his face once more, his eyes glinting a bit sadly.

"The cold stone, the dampness...it suits me, Svana." Was his only reply. He almost flinched at the way her eyebrows helped turn her face into an obvious one of concern and sympathy.

"Don't say that." She says. "Keerava probably wouldn't have any qualms with you having a room here for one night, would she?" Madesi's smile falters as he lets out a short breath.

"You have a kind heart, Svana. Much too kind for a place like Riften." Madesi replied. It was true. She was sweet and lovely. He'd always had that sort of opinion about her. "But please don't worry about me. I'll be just fine." He didn't want to make her disappointed. He didn't want her to worry, and more importantly, not about him. From what he just heard, she has enough of her own problems to be concerned about, let alone his.

Svana didn't know what came over her, but she felt the need to stop him from walking out that door to go sleep in the slums yet again. She wouldn't. Not after he had just heard her out. Not after he had graciously been a good friend to her after a long and stressful day even though they didn't know each other very well. She wouldn't have it. So she made another offer.

"I'll pay for a room here for you for tonight." Madesi's brow arches rose in a way that was very similar to the way someone would raise their eyebrows.

"Svana-"

"No. Just...just let me do this for you just this once. It's the least I can do after you've been such a good friend to me today." She insisted. Madesi didn't like that she was offering to use more of her hard earned money on him, but the determined look on the young woman told him this was a losing battle for him. Instead of arguing further he let out a long sigh before resigning.

"Alright." He conceded and to his delight, she smiled.

"Good. I'll go pay Keerava, then." She marched off to the counter, which wasn't awfully far away. Madesi observed the two ladies engaging in a minor amount of chatter before Svana procured the septims necessary for room reservation and Keerava exchanged that for a key, giving her directions to the room. She nodded and walked back to Madesi, who hadn't moved from his spot.

"Okay, you just go up the stairs and make your way straight across the upper level. It's the room directly on the other side, you can't miss it." Svana takes Madesi's hand and placing the key gently in his scaly palm, closing his fingers over it. Was it his imagination, or were her hands lingering unnecessarily? Not that he was complaining, of course. "Sleep well. And thank you again." She told him before letting go and exiting the Bee and Barb, offering one last glance and smile over her shoulder before the door shut behind her.

Up in his room, Madesi filled the bowl that was previously placed on the lone chest that was in the room full of water. His reflection appeared in warbled, unidentifiable shapes and blobs. He scooped his hands in it, bringing it up to his face to wash it before retiring for the night. He scowled slightly when more sweat and grime than he thought would come off of him dripped into the bowl, creating a cloudy effect in the water. He undressed, rinsing his clothes off a bit in the bowl's water as much as he could as well, leaving them draped over the chest to dry. He sighed, plopping down on the bed, an arm draped over his eyes. His mind wandered back to Svana.

Sweet Svana. She was truly nicer than Riften ever deserved. Had a better heart than most of the people lurking around these parts, that was for damn sure. It was ridiculous that he was thinking of her. He didn't think anything would develop between them. Not when she was completely enamored with Sibbi. Just the thought of that made his demeanor sour quite drastically, but he didn't show it beyond a frown. He was a lech and a murderer. And a spoilt brat. And a braggart. And a bigot. What's worse is that Svana had heard about the murder he committed and didn't fully believe it. She had heard the rumors of the victims sister, Sibbi's former fiance, going into hiding, and still sided with Sibbi. It wasn't fair. But then, life in Skyrim hardly seemed anything fair nowadays.

He didn't want to dwell on it much further. That being said, he allowed himself to relax on the bed that was much too soft for what he was used to and went to sleep.

* * *

Svana retired to her bed in the bunkhouse nursing a cheek that was now stinging and starting to swell. Haelga greeted her when she came through the door irately, finishing with a hard slap across her face. It was strong enough to make the young woman reel back in pain. She was then sentenced to twice the chores for an unprecedented amount of time for her defiance and disrespect. Svana huffed out a short breath at the thought. What did she have that Svana should be respectful of? As far as she was concerned, she probably never would.

Pressing a damp rag against her skin made the irritated area feel a little better. After her cheek had stopped throbbing beneath the cloth, she discarded it carelessly, flinging it to a different area in the room, not bothering to look to see where. She lay her head down on the nearly flat pillow, lamenting on the lack of support it gave her head. Perhaps the bunkhouse needed to switch out the straw in the pillows and beds. Too bad Haelga was too cheap for something like that. It was a substantial amount of time later that she finally did find the ever evasive embrace of sleep.

The next morning, Madesi awoke bright and early, having an excellent night's sleep. He stretched, feeling his muscles awaken with him. A few joints popped with the effort, sending a small amount of relief throughout whatever areas were affected. With a groan, he relaxed again, staring at the ceiling of his room. He thought of how he were to thank Svana for her kindness in renting the room for him. Even if it was just for the night, he greatly appreciated the gesture, and now that he had gotten a decent sleep for once, he wanted to properly extend his gratitude. Question was, how?

Sitting up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and went to retrieve his clothing, pleased to see they'd dried properly and they looked cleaner. Not much, but cleaner, no less. Slipping them on, he ambled downstairs and out the door to his stand. Magnus had just barely begun to rise over the horizon, the sky a milky blue. The morning was still young enough that everything felt at peace. It was unusual for a place like Riften. The chatter of birds and the soft calming buzz of insects could be heard throughout the atmosphere. Madesi took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he began to unlock his shop. Opening the case, he observed the pendants on display. One in particular.

It was silver, the pendant ornately carved with Argonian detailing in the surface. The setting held a circle of small faceted sapphires surrounding a larger amethyst. It was some of his best work, to be sure. He remembered sitting at the Scorched Hammer for hours trying to get the blasted little gemstones to cooperate with him and cursing when something would slip and his hands would get scratched or something almost got nicked just so on his piece. No one had even made an offer to buy it. Too pricey, especially with all the supposed miracle cures that Brynjolf's been pushing lately. Either that or everyone was simply too cheap at the moment. Either way, it was just sitting there collecting dust. Shame. It could be used to make someone very happy.

Like Svana.

He scooped the pendant from the case, the delicate chain tickling his skin ever so slightly as it cascaded off his palm to dangle in the air. He looked at it thoughtfully for a moment before he decided that yes, he would give it to her and stuffed it in his pocket, replacing the jewelry with a couple of simple gold and silver rings. They weren't necessary great work, but it would do to fill the void created by the missing jewelry. He busied himself recording the change in inventory on his paper before depositing it back into the opposite pocket and went about setting up for the day.

* * *

The day passed relatively slowly. As per usual, barely anybody even came by the stall. Nivenor was one of maybe three people who stopped to pay any mind to his wares, Haelga was one of the other two with Maven stopping by to scold him about turning down Hemming the day previous. The beautiful and snobbish wood elf purchased the two rings he had deposited in his case earlier that day, so he at least walked away with a profit made that day. As usual, he went about double checking his wares, writing down the inventory and closing up shop when the sun set that evening. With his earnings, he ambled straight to Haelga's Bunkhouse.

Reaching the door, the weight the amulet made in his pocket started to become heavy. He was eager to give it to Svana and see her reaction. He only hoped she'd like it. He saw no reason she wouldn't, but a smidge of anxiousness trickled into his nerves despite it. Opening the door, he was greeted by the smell of booze and something cooking. Slightly burnt from the smell of it. Slaughterfish? Salmon? Whatever it was, it carried a fishy odor under the obvious scent of something being charred.

He craned his neck in different directions looking for the Nord woman. At first the only ones he found were Grelka, paying her rent and Haelga, accepting her payment and eyeing him in what was a blatant show of distrust. He knew of her disapproval of his heritage. He didn't understand why and honestly, he felt like she had absolutely no room for judgment. Not after all that her own niece had said. But, like most of his kind, he knew the value and importance of keeping secrets and opinions to oneself, lest things royally blow up in his face. Still, he wasn't able to help the telltale pull of facial muscles that indicated that he was annoyed by the manner of supervision.

Not wanting to say anything to her, he simply shuffled quietly to his usual spot and sat, waiting for Svana to come by like she always did this time of night. This was the time that the tenants usually were beginning to sink well into their cups and therefore would be making even more messes. Svana would have to come by eventually and when she did, he'd give her the pendant. He picked up an apple sitting on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. By the feel of it, it was about to go bad. Shrugging, he took a bite. The flesh was grainy rather than crisp and juicy but he wasn't picky. After he had eaten the apple in its entirety, right down to the core, he grabbed a small wedge of goat cheese sitting by one of the plates around the table and a half a loaf of bread and consumed those as well. The bread was fresher than he expected, still having a crunchy shell with a moist center. The cheese was another story, obviously old but not so much past its prime that one should've thrown it out.

Svana finally came down after Madesi had finished the bread and cheese and looked just about the same as yesterday. Tired, upset, and abused. His heart went out to the poor woman as she walked in a way that one would almost consider a waddle downstairs and faced her aunt, wiping her hands off on her apron. He wasn't sure what good that was doing at this point, due to the filthy nature of the smock. It would've been better if it were burned rather than used any further.

"I finished oiling and conditioning the books, aunt." Svana managed, her voice coming out more like a tired mumble rather than a casual speaking voice. Haelga's attention veered from Madesi to Svana to glance over her form.

" _All_ of them?" Haelga pressed. He could see even from where he was that Svana's jaw tightened in annoyance.

"Yes."

"Good. Now you can get to work dusting the barrels. Be sure to get the insides of them as well." Was all the woman said before turning to the payment Grelka had given her and began to count, emptying the roughspun bag on the counter and began to quickly shuffle each coin across the surface, mentally keeping track of the numbers. Madesi made an effort to get Svana's attention in the form of a small wave of his hand. It was successful, the woman looking over and a small exhausted smile gracing her lips. She approached him, standing by his place at the table.

"Hello Madesi. Nice to see you today." She greeted, friendly as always. Madesi smiled in return, patting at the place at the table next to him, silently asking for her to sit, earning a small frown of curiosity, her smile never faltering.

She looked to Haelga out the side of her eye, checking to see if she was still busy counting. To Svana's delight, she was. She slid into the place beside Madesi, letting out a small moan of relief, feeling a thousand times better now that she had a moment to rest.

"Feel better?" Madesi asked, facing her with a toothy grin. She nodded, rubbing the lengths of her thighs as if to relieve some of the soreness in her muscles. Whether they were the ones in her thighs, or the ones in her palms, he wasn't sure.

"Much. Even if for a moment. Thank you." Her voice even sounded tired, but grateful, no less.

"Actually, Svana, I would like to thank you as well." He kept his voice low enough that no one would be able to hear their conversation. He wasn't someone who was at home with the idea of someone, namely Haelga catching wind of their chat and getting nosy or angry. He didn't want to take the chance, if not for Svana's sake. "For the generosity you extended to me last night. You didn't have to do that, but you did."

"It was nothing. It was the least I could do for you being such a good person. I had a lot to get off my chest and you graciously listened with no judgment." Svana's attention shifted to Haelga, who was still busy counting, but was about halfway through the pile. There wouldn't be much time left before she was done. Madesi reached into his pocket, enclosing the pendant in his hand firmly.

"It wasn't nothing. As I said, you have a good heart, Svana." The pink that began to bloom in the shell of her ears almost gleaned a smirk from the Argonian, but he kept what he hoped was a warm smile instead. He took her hand and uncurled her fingers, his other hand, holding the pendant overlapping her own. "I wanted to give you this, as a token of my appreciation." He said as he opened his hand, the contents dropping safely into her own. She took it back, inspecting the amulet and her eyes widened a fraction, her mouth slightly agape.

"Madesi-"

"I want you to have it." Svana shook her head slightly in disbelief for a moment before looking back up at him, her eyes glinting with happiness and a couple gathering tears.

"This is the nicest thing anyone's ever given me. Are you sure-"

"I'm sure. I can always make another." It was sort of true. She didn't have to know that it took a lot of work to make it, or that he would have to hire someone to go get supplies for another. No one was going to buy it anytime soon, that was for sure, so it was good to give it to someone who could appreciate it, and whom he knew deserved it. He wasn't prepared for the way the girl flung her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. He tensed, not knowing what to do, hands sticking up on either side of her, hovering in the air with no knowledge of what to do.

"Thank you so much." She breathed. He could feel blood rise to his face and was grateful that as far as he knew, blushing in Argonians wasn't very obvious. He awkwardly cleared his throat but returned the embrace, albeit with little knowledge of how to do so, one hand resting on the small of her back, the other cradling the back of her head.

"You're um-" He once again cleared his throat. "welcome." He breathed out a small laugh when she squeezed ever so slightly. The embrace didn't last too much longer after that. She broke away first, and despite the dark dusty crescents staining her lower lids and the red rimming in the whites of her eyes, she was beaming. Madesi had never seen her so happy and it brought him no small amount of pride and contentment that he made it happen. She fumbled with the pendant between her fingers.

"Would you mind helping me put it on?" Her voice was all too hopeful and Madesi couldn't refuse, motioning for her to turn around, which she did with enthusiasm befitting a teenager. She gathered all of her hair in her hands, pulling the red tresses over her shoulder. He undid the clasp of the chain easily, very familiar with his own work, each end in his hands. He secured it around her neck, purposely letting his knuckles skim her soft skin.

"There you go." He couldn't help yet another smile as she turned back around. The necklace suited her perfectly, the pendant glinting with the light of the sconces in the room. It sat nestled right at the top of her cleavage. Madesi forced himself not to linger there for too long, lest he get scolded for being a pervert. When he looked up at her, he noticed she seemed as if she were expecting something. Selling jewelry as long as he had, he recognized that look and tried to oblige. He would've done so smoothly, but nerves got the better of him. "It looks- well, _you_ look-"

"Svana!" Haelga's voice barking at her niece made them both start as they turned their focus to her instead. The blonde woman's face was twisted into a displeased frown, her hands resting on the counter with her fingers drumming on the surface. "Those barrels won't dust themselves! I suggest you stop fraternizing with our business and get back to work!" Madesi saw the look that flitted across Svana's face that spelled nothing but vexation at her aunt.

"Of course, aunt." Svana resigned, standing up. Madesi heard the small groan of discomfort putting herself back on her feet as she shuffled back to the stairwell. His eyes never left her and he was pleased when she stopped at the first step to look and smile at him before ascending and disappearing. Haelga's expression caught his attention from his periphery and it was none too friendly. In fact it was downright venomous. It was obvious she did _not_ approve of what she saw. Not wanting to cause a scene, he stood up, prepared to take to Beggar's Row. He could've always rented a room for the night again, but he wanted to save as much coin as he could so he'd have the funding to buy supplies.

"Yeah that's right. Go back down to your filth, you gods damned lizard." He heard Haelga call out to him. "And stay away from my niece." He paused at the door, hand poised above the handle and turned back to face her. Her expression hadn't changed and he just offered a forced closed mouth grin, nodding in acquiescence.

"Have a lovely evening, Haelga." He hoped kindness would kill with her. It was certainly more than she deserved, but spending time in Riften jail for assault was probably not the best way to handle any kind of frustration felt on his part. His patience was limited, just like everyone else's but he could definitely keep a rein on his anger if he needed to. He closed the door behind him as he left the bunkhouse, letting out a long breath as if trying to dispel and purge his irritation along with it. Scratching an itch that formed on his forearm, he travelled the familiar pathways down into Beggars Row for the night.

* * *

 **A/N:** I posted a prompt on SKM for this pairing, but I was impatient and filled it myself. :)

I was playing Skyrim for the millionth time and I thought, through simple observation that maybe Madesi had a bit of unspoken attraction for the pretty lady so I was inspired. :) Unfortunately, I don't think it came out as smooth as I'd have liked. Maybe I'll go back and re do it. :T This will have at least another chapter, if not two depending on how I can work the story. Next chapter will definitely feature either Sibbi being exposed as a royal jerk or Haelga will be humiliated at the hands of my thieving Dragonborn. :)

Please leave me feedback. Let me know what I should change, if anything to make the story smoother. Tell me how I should work the story in the following chapter(s). I'll take ideas and I'll be sure to give credit where credit's due.


	2. Chapter 2

The work day at the Bunkhouse started earlier than usual, Haelga waking Svana at the crack of dawn to clean her tryst room early for company. The dawn started off quiet, the light from the waning moons and rising Magnus casting a dim glow into the main lobby of the Bunkhouse. Most of the residents hadn't even woken yet, Grelka being the first to wake, eat her breakfast and head out to the plaza to start her business day, leaving behind her shell of a meal for Svana to pick up. The next few to wake did the same thing and after Svana had cleaned Haelga's chambers, she proceeded with collecting the remains of food and cleaning the tables, making sure no sticky or crumby residue was left. By the time she was done with this, dawn had passed, heralding a new morning for the people of Skyrim.

Svana wiped sweat off her brow as she finished making the last of the beds from the residents of the Bunkhouse, making sure the furs were positioned neatly on the straw that made up the mattresses. It was still early in the morning and she wanted to have breakfast. Deciding it was time for a break, she ambled downstairs, careful not to trip over her feet as she went down. Noises coming from the room made her squirm uncomfortably, realizing her aunt didn't have someone who could cast a simple muffle spell on the door to make it quiet. She made her way to the kitchen before a different idea took form as she looked back to the door to Haelga's room, then to the main door leading out to the plaza. Deciding it was worth the risk and undoubted punishment later, Svana opened the main doors, sliding outside. Today she would enjoy Riften for a while before heading back to do her aunt's chores.

Marise gave Svana some fresh bread and some smoked salmon to eat as she slowly made her way around town. Svana paid for her small meal and proceeded to inspect wares sold by the townspeople. Madesi caught her eye, selling a garnet pendant to Nivenor, both of them parting ways, Nivenor immediately putting the pendant on and strutting away from the stall, head held high in pride. Svana unconsciously reached for her own, a gift from Madesi a couple weeks prior. It was gorgeous and she kept it on ever since, the sapphires catching nicely in the sun's light, along with the much larger amethyst. She decided she'd walk up and strike up conversation before doing anything else for the day.

"Madesi." She greeted, smiling widely as she approached his stall. He heard her and the brow ridges above his eyes rose, indicating surprise. The returned smile told her he was glad to see her too.

"Svana. To what do I owe this honor?" He asked, leaning over the counter, arms crossed in front of the other.

"Just passing through. Haelga is...otherwise preoccupied and I decided to take a break. How's business today?" Svana inquired, taking a bite of her salmon. Marise had great food available, which was something that Svana hadn't discovered for herself until that very moment, the fish cooked to tender perfection. Until now, Svana had figured that Marise just simply sold produce and raw meats instead of anything fully cooked. Perhaps it was leftover from her meal and she just gave it to Svana because she was willing to pay for it?

"It's been fair. Nivenor is my first and will probably be my only customer of the day, as usual. But, the last group of travellers made off with some of my rings a few days prior. And altogether, business has been a bit better. I think Brynjolf is trying to concoct some kind of new scheme, so I'm enjoying the increased business, however small it may be while he's on hiatus." He replied, wiping a smudge from his case made by an onlooker's messy hands earlier that morning. He remembered her well enough. Tall Nord woman with long raven black hair and eyes that screamed greed, green and alight with mischief. He would need to take his wares with him when he went down to Beggar's Row tonight, just in case. He didn't want anything to come up missing and the last place a thief would think to look for jewels is where beggars hunker down for the night.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad." She seemed at ease to hear he was doing well, which made him feel a bit happier.

"And how about you? Have you been faring well?" He couldn't help but ask. This was a regular occurrence for him now, to check up on her and see if she was alright. After hearing what went on in the Bunkhouse some few weeks ago, he decided it'd be better to bother her with checking up on her now and then rather than to keep to himself and wait for her to come to him. It wouldn't sit right with him. Sometimes she'd have little to say, while others he'd lend an ear to another rant. At least she had an outlet for her frustrations now. Today she looked about the same as she usually did, with the same indigo crescents stamped under her eyes and with that telltale worn look to her even though the day had just barely begun.

"Same thing, different day." She shrugged, biting into the bread. It was only about a day or two old, and still moist and good to eat. "I'm sure to get reprimanded when I go back, but I'm enjoying a little time off for the day. I think I might go see Sibbi." She mulled over thoughtfully, her thoughts vocal. Svana failed to notice how Madesi's smile faltered and took on an appearance that was more scowl than smile.

"Oh?" He asked, reeling in his distaste for the spoilt man before she noticed. "Well I wish you luck on your endeavor." He returned to inspecting his case, not wanting to look at her besotted, doe eyed face at the moment. Not when it was filled with thoughts of that murderous fiend. He preoccupied himself with procuring a cloth from behind the counter and polishing the hinges on the case until they gleamed. She seemed oblivious to his displeasure, eating some more of her meager breakfast before making her leave.

"Thank you. Good luck with business today." She departed, none the wiser. Approaching Mistveil Keep, Svana scarfed down the rest of her breakfast, dusting herself off of crumbs and trying to fix her hair before entering the prisons. She adjusted the pendant on her neck so it sat better, settled right above her chest, as it should've been. Right as she was about to close the distance between her and the door to the prison, a woman, Nord came out, hair a straight bolt of jet black, extending past her shoulder blades. A jagged pink scar stretched from the apple of her left cheekbone to the space right above her left ear. She wore a lavender tunic, black cloth breeches and black leather boots, folded down to her ankles and sported a small pack strapped around her hips. She caught eye of Svana and smiled, nodding politely as she tried to make her way past. Svana had never seen her before. Naturally, she wanted to strike up conversation. Svana herself would probably never venture outside the city walls, but maybe hearing stories from someone else about the rest of the province as of late would sate her curiosity.

"Hello." Svana greeted, the Nord woman halting, looking a bit bewildered having been stopped.

"Greetings." The woman said formally, straightening her posture.

A biting form of curiosity took hold of Svana at the moment, wondering why she was in the prisons of all places? Did she escape? Did she have a friend there? The latter didn't seem likely. Svana knew all the residents of the city, and she didn't recall anyone here in the prisons having friends or lovers of the sort. Perhaps she was wrong, but she doubted it. She decided to ask despite her doubts.

"If I may ask, who were you visiting?" Svana noted how the Nord's lips thinned slightly, indicating displeasure with her questioning. A small narrowing of her eyes also told Svana she was suspicious. "I'm going to see my love." Svana explained, not being able to help the blush that rose to her cheeks. At this, the Nord's face regained her composure, now straight and almost expressionless, save for the look of merely one who was observing. She was watching Svana. She'd seen that look on Maven before. It always made her uneasy.

"I actually just visited a man, asking about rumors I had heard about him throughout town. Mjoll told me about his family and I wanted to do some investigation." Her head raised, chin jutted out, making her appear proud. "This wouldn't be the man you're going to see, would it?" Her eyes softened, betraying her proud demeanor for something a bit more concerned. Svana's eyebrows knitted together, a frown forming on her features.

"You're not referring to Sibbi, are you?" Svana asked, despite herself. She felt a rush of lividity fill her when the Nord woman nodded, the movement formal and precise.

"The Black-Briar boy, yes. That one. He's the one you've got your sights set on?" Svana gritted her teeth, straightening herself out as well, ready to set this woman straight. How dare this woman take it upon herself to meddle in Sibbi's affairs!

"I'll have you know, that the townsfolk have no idea what they're talking about. Sibbi is a good man. A romantic at heart, to be sure. He'd never do something like that without a reason. I believe what he did was out of self defense, if it even happened at all. People around here love to gossip, and I'm afraid the information given to you was false."

To her displeasure, the woman simply nodded, her eyebrows raising, and lips pursing in a manner that told Svana that she didn't believe it for a minute. She didn't apologize, didn't walk away, nothing. Just stood her ground and kept that air about her that was beginning to get under Svana's skin.

"With all due respect, miss, I think you're the one who has no idea what she's talking about. I think he's hiding something from you. He just spilled everything to me." The woman spoke, polishing her fingernails with the front of her doublet, looking them over, a bored expression overtaking her features for a moment as she did so. Svana opened her mouth to speak, to argue, before the Nord woman interrupted her. "If you're so sure of his innocence, then perhaps you'll join my friend and I on a trip to Ivarstead? Although, I think you'll find I'm very much right." Svana mulled it over right as the mystery woman retrieved a vial of blue liquid from her pack and gulped it down in merely a couple mouthfuls, smacking her lips, nose crinkling in distaste afterwards, flinging the empty vial haphazardly over her shoulder.

Could she go? How long would the trip take and how mad would Haelga be when she returned? Furious, no doubt, but it was something she could handle if it put this smug woman and everyone else in town in their places. It was worth whatever risk she'd be taking. But what about this woman's intentions? She couldn't honestly just be after proving herself right, could she? Was there some ulterior motive? There had to be.

"What's the catch?" Svana raised an eyebrow, studying the woman with absolute scrutiny and suspicion. The woman only offered a small smirk, hand reaching out to rest on Svana's shoulder.

"I just want you to see the truth with your own eyes. Nothing more. Since you'd believe anything that man told you, I'm going to take you to hear it from someone else's perspective. Someone who isn't even here. Someone who experienced what he did firsthand." There was no way Svana was buying into that.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Svana tried to shrug off the woman's shoulder, but her grip remained firm. Svana could feel her blood begin to race. The woman let out a barking laugh. Mocking, almost.

"You believe that that man is completely innocent, so yes, I expect you to believe this someone, you gullible girl." Svana tried yet again to shake the woman's hand, but instead felt a calming, soothing, and almost warming rush come over her, stemming from her shoulder, held by this strange Nord. Her anger quelled and she could feel her blood begin to cool with calm. "Just come with me and my partner. We'll set you straight. Alright?" She asked, a kind of expectant smile overcoming her as Svana was unable to help her nod in response. She didn't want to argue. She wanted to go along with whatever this woman was saying. She wanted to come with her and her partner to Ivarstead. Although...she couldn't place why the sudden change of heart.

The woman led Svana by wrapping an arm around her shoulder, hand firmly gripping the exposed skin, not wanting the redhead to wander. Svana faintly noticed the strange looks she was being given by some but paid no further mind. The woman led her around the plaza, taking the outer ring of the city, weaving through travellers and residents alike, easily being able to navigate. She was being led to the Bee and Barb, presumably to meet up with her friend, whomever she was. She wanted to ask what her name was and what she was doing here in the first place. She didn't believe for a second that rumors alone or simple travelling was her reason any longer. She believed there was a more nefarious reason but she just couldn't find the motivation to be nervous or angry or anxious. She only felt calm and collected as the inn doors swung open, the scent of strong booze, freshly cooked meals and smoke from the fireplace filled the area. Perfumes from the wealthier families hung in the air with the rest of the scents and people were in high spirits this morning.

The Nord woman led Svana to a table occupied by a lone Breton woman, with hair of brilliant copper woven into a braid almost reaching the middle of her back. She wore a turquoise quilted doublet, black cloth gloves, doeskin breeches, and light brown boots, coming up over her knees. She saw Svana and the woman and her expression became irritated, spinning her tankard on the table idly, finger hooked around the lip of the container, twirling it on its base. The Nord woman pulled up an extra chair for Svana to sit herself, which she did without question while the Nord turned hers around so she could rest leaning forward against the back of the chair, legs draped off to the side, crossed elegantly.

"Who's she?" The Breton asked without preamble, motioning with a nod to Svana, who merely looked between the two of them as they conversed.

"A new friend. Mjoll was right about Sibbi. He's bad news. Unfortunately for our little scullery maid here," The woman motioned to Svana with her thumb before relaxing again. "She doesn't believe he is. So I told her she could come with us to investigate." The Breton woman's eyebrows shot up for a moment before her jaw worked in anger. Her voice was kept low as she replied, the tankard now in place on the table.

"You went ahead and took this on without consulting me? Going to question him and then tangling _her_ into this?" Svana noted how the Breton's grip on the tankard became harsher, fingertips white with effort, though her face showed no signs of stress. Only irritation at her friend. "I didn't want to get involved in affairs with any other people here, Kilrika. You know that."

"Would you relax?" Kilrika replied almost flippantly, holding out her hands in an effort to placate the woman across from her. Svana began to feel her nerves return to normal. The calm she had before began to ebb away, leaving a biting anxiety and nervousness. A desire to be back at the Bunkhouse and away from these women replacing the serenity she felt earlier. Kilrika's gaze flicked to Svana for a brief moment before she reached a hand out to clasp over her shoulder and the calming effect was back, easing Svana back into her seat.

"You hypnotized her." The Breton stated, her face suddenly deadpan. Unamused. "You used your calming spell and hypnotized her."

"Oh I did it to him too. He sang like an eager little birdie when I did. As far as she goes, it was the only way to get her to come along willingly. Otherwise she'd still be blubbering about how great of a guy that murdering cheater is. And besides that, I've done it countless times before so what's the big deal now?"

"Instead of convincing her to come along, you should've let the whole thing drop so we could do what we needed to do without further hindrances." The Breton woman stood her ground, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed firmly across her chest. Svana saw an amulet of Dibella hanging around the Breton's neck and almost wanted to cringe. Almost. Haelga had one just like it.

"Rhiannon please. You know why this kind of thing is important to me. She told me that she loved that bastard and I just..." Kilrika trailed off, eyes rolling off as if searching her mind for something before returning her gaze back to Rhiannon, letting out a sharp sigh. "I couldn't let her keep thinking he was good for her. It...was all too familiar to me. Please understand." At this, Rhiannon let out an exasperated sigh, hand coming through her hair before dragging down her face.

"I _do_ understand-"

"Then please let me do this. Help me out, here." Kilrika's eyes pleaded with Rhiannon, who pursed her lips, shaking her head in resignation before letting out a long breath through her nose, hands raising in surrender before reaching for her tankard.

"Alright. Fine. We'll head out to wherever as soon as I'm done drinking." Rhiannon hoisted the tankard to her lips and took in a healthy drink, wiping her mouth with a gloved hand afterwards.

"I think it might be that bard from Ivarstead. Last time we spoke, she mentioned having family here in Riften at one point in time. Sibbi mentioned his betrothed had long black hair and it just so happens that the bard's roots were starting to show. She's not a natural golden haired beauty. I think we should start with her."

Rhiannon let out a sound of acknowledgment, taking another long drink before setting the tankard down with purpose, standing from her seat slowly. Svana was able to see just how short the woman was, probably being dwarfed by most other Bretons and possibly some Bosmer as well. Kilrika hoisted Svana up gently, a guiding hand under her arm. The movement was fluid and easy.

"Think we should suit up for this?" Rhiannon asked, rolling out her shoulders, a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised, waiting for a response.

"No. It should be easy enough to make off with items of value without the extra help from the armor. I don't even think there will be any, to be honest. We cleaned the place out decently last time we visited." At this, Rhiannon's lips pulled downward, indicating her displeasure. Kilrika sighed. "I know, I know. Let's get going. Sooner we get this over with, sooner we can get back to business." Rhiannon looked as if she were about to snap back with a retort but shook her head, deciding against it. She reached down, grabbing a pack, and waited for Kilrika and Svana to stand and join her. It seemed as if Rhiannon ran whatever operation this was. Kilrika did stand and ushered Svana to do the same, resuming wrapping an arm around her, clasped firmly on her shoulder to keep the dazed girl from falling or wandering. With that, the three women made their way to the Riften Stables right outside the city walls.

Rhiannon retrieved the two horses while Kilrika cast another Calm spell on Svana, who felt her nerves simmer down yet again to a near nonexistent state. It was about noon and Haelga would definitely notice she were gone by now. Oh well. The air outside was nice. A breeze picked up, light and feathery and felt just cool enough to give Svana goosebumps, but not enough to elicit a shiver. A blue butterfly flitted around, eventually fluttering out of sight. Rhiannon mounted her own horse, a paint stallion. The other, a flea bitten stallion, must've been Kilrika's.

"Come on, miss. You're riding with me." Kilrika prodded gently, giving a light shove on Svana's back. Due to her current state, the young woman wasn't expecting it and stumbled forward the few steps between her and Kilrika's steed. She mounted the horse and waited for Kilrika to join, arms encircling her, grabbing the reins. "Now sit tight." Kilrika's voice held a slight flirtatious inflection as she shook the reins, urging her horse onward. Rhiannon urged her horse into action not a moment later, trailing slightly behind.

* * *

Madesi didn't know what to think when he saw Haelga burst from the bunkhouse, tearing through town, straight to the prisons. Looking for Svana, no doubt. He himself hadn't even seen her since that morning when she told him she was on her way to visit and it was past noon by now. She must've lost track of time and took a longer break than she had intended. A pang of bitter jealousy coursed through him as he went back to tending to his stall. He had made another sale earlier, about an hour ago to a young man looking for a ring for his betrothed. Lucky man. At least bhe/b gets to be with the woman he desires. Meanwhile, his was head over heels smitten for the Black-Briar man sitting behind bars.

Maybe he should try to let go of her. It would probably be for the best. He should focus on saving enough to finally leave Riften, and perhaps make his way to a different province altogether. Hammerfell? Redguards had an appreciation for fine jewelry, so maybe he could make a decent living there. Or maybe just cross the border into Cyrodiil? He could meet a lovely young lady wherever he landed himself, move on and let Svana be happy here. He didn't want to of course, but he also didn't see the point in hurting himself either.

Not even ten minutes later, Haelga approached his stall, palms slamming down on the surface of the stall, drawing the attention of a few passersby, but the attention was soon dropped as they continued about their business. Her expression was stormy, eyes flitting this was and that, searching his own face as her cheeks were flushed with anger, jaw working back and forth rather obviously.

"Can I help you?" He asked slowly, not knowing why she would bother to visit him with just about anything. What she said next, he wasn't expecting.

"Svana is gone. I have no idea where she is and she wasn't in the prisons. Do you know where she went? You tell me the truth or I swear to every one of the Divines I'll-"

"Svana's gone?" He asked, cutting her off, earning a confused frown from the woman.

"Don't play that game with me, lizard. You're the only other person in town whom I can think of that she speaks to regularly. So where is she?"

"I really don't know, Haelga, I'm sorry." Maybe she finally couldn't take it anymore and decided to leave? Madesi frowned with that explanation. No, that didn't sound like Svana at all. She wouldn't just leave on a whim. She would want to say goodbye first. And besides that, she'd definitely want to take her beloved and he was still stuck here below the keep. So that leaves the question of where she would've gone. She wouldn't have wandered anywhere else in the city. If she did, Madesi would've seen her by now, wouldn't he?

"Alright, let me close up shop and I'll help you look." He spoke as he put himself to action taking inventory, gathering it together and putting it in its strongbox under his stall and locking it up tight. He'd have to worry about that potential thief later.

"You mean you really don't know where she is?" Haelga stood up straight, studying him as he worked.

"No, Haelga. I'm generally not a liar so when I said I didn't know, I meant I didn't know." He shot back, not caring to hide the bite to his voice as he spoke, gleaning a scowl from the woman. He didn't care. He took off from his stall at a quick pace, making his way to the Bee and Barb, hoping for a lead there, not bothering to see if Haelga was following or not.

He didn't pause to carefully open the doors to the inn, surprising a few people standing nearby who let out alarmed sounds or curses in his direction. He kept his pace all the way to the counter, waiting for Keerava to turn her attention to him. Was it him or was she taking longer than she normally would've?

"How can I help you?" Her raspy voice sounded less rehearsed than usual, perhaps taking his tense stance and expression into consideration.

"Svana is missing. Have you seen her lately? Has she been here?"

"Earlier, yes. She left with two other women. I don't know where they headed though." She looked irritated upon responding. Madesi pressed on.

"Do you know who they were?"

"I wish I didn't. The raven haired one extorted money from me for that wretched Thieves Guild. Nord. Smart mouthed one. She was with a redheaded Breton." This didn't help him in the slightest and he made it clear.

"This isn't very helpful. I need to know where they headed." He countered.

"And I told you I didn't know. I'd love to help you, but I have an inn to run. Either order something or leave." Curt and firm, it was clear she didn't want anything to do with the search and left it at that. Letting out a breath of frustration, Madesi left the counter, regaining his quick pace, marching right past Haelga who'd been there for an unknown amount of time. She followed him without preamble.

"Any luck?" She asked from behind him.

"No."

If Svana was really with two other women, surely the other townspeople would've seen her with them and would be able to identify where she was, or at the very least who the women were. He went to work asking different people, from residents to travellers about Svana and the other two. He finally had a lead some hour afterwards, Ingun being more helpful than anyone else he had asked, having just come back into town from gathering ingredients for her experiments.

Apparently Svana had taken off with the two women on horse a while back. She went with them willingly, from the looks of it. They could've been anywhere by now. Haelga was beside herself, and whether from anger, worry, or annoyance, he didn't know. He didn't care much. In all honesty, he blamed Svana's disappearance on the older woman. If she hadn't been so harsh or so careless with the poor girl, then she would still be here and she'd be much better off than she was now, instead of the exhausted thing she had always been since arriving here. He had half a mind to turn around and tell her just that, but once again not wanting the confrontation to possibly get out of hand and land him in the prisons right alongside Sibbi, he held his tongue. He bit it hard enough to taste blood, in fact.

He could go out and look for Svana, but where would he start? Would he be more likely to find her or his own death out there? He wasn't by any means a warrior. At least with two others accompanying her, she had a better chance of survival. She wouldn't have gone anywhere with two strangers willingly if she had even a doubt that they were up to no good. Then again, it's not as if she were always a great judge of character. He didn't know what to do. An itch materialized on the back of his neck, which he took care of with perhaps a bit more force than necessary.

He decided to the Void with it and to go out and look for her. He caught back up to Ingun, grasping her shoulder to grab her attention.

"Madesi. Something else you needed?" She asked, same sweet sounding voice as usual.

"Do you remember which direction the women headed?" He asked, jaw set, waiting for an answer.

"Last I saw, they headed off towards Ivarstead. Your best bet would probably be there." With that, she departed, heading off towards Elgrim's Elixirs to resume her work for the day. Armed with his new knowledge, Madesi stormed towards the stables, Haelga following in tow.

"Where are we going?" She demanded as he pressed on through the city gates, setting himself into a jog up to the stables. He didn't pause to answer her, looking for Shadr.

" _We_ aren't going anywhere. _I'm_ going to look for Svana while _you_ go back to the Bunkhouse and wait." Finally finding Shadr, he opened his mouth to negotiate with him only to be cut of by Haelga.

"Like the Void you are. I'm her aunt. Her blood. If anyone should be out looking for her, it should be me."

At this, Madesi couldn't hold his tongue anymore. He thought he'd be able to, but he couldn't. Perhaps it was the worry or stress, or just anger at the woman in general. Either way, it came out before he could stop it, and honestly, he didn't know if he would've bothered to at this point either.

"Have you ever stopped to consider that it's your fault that she went off with complete strangers in the first place?" Haelga opened her mouth to retort, but stopped short as Madesi spoke again. "No, of course not. You were too busy making her run herself ragged trying to keep your filthy bunkhouse clean. Perhaps if you had been easier on her, she would still be here and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"How dare you!" She began, eyes wide with lividity, approaching Madesi within a few paces. "You have no idea. Whatever she's told you-"

"She didn't have to tell me anything. I'm there often enough to see how you treat her with my own eyes and it's disgraceful. If you're so concerned with her being your blood, you should take _better_ care of her, not less." Haelga's mouth clamped shut, but she still looked pissed, for lack of better wording. She scoffed, turning on her heel, all but stomping back into the city. With that, Madesi turned back to Shadr, who looked uncomfortable over what he'd just seen.

"Apologies, Shadr." Madesi tried to calm himself down, dragging a hand down his face in vain. The other man cleared his throat.

"It's no trouble. What can I do for you? In the market for a horse?" The Redguard man asked, his face regaining his usual sunny disposition. Madesi let out a weary sigh and answered.

"I need to borrow one. I don't have the money to buy one. Not yet, anyway. I will bring it back, at the latest, tomorrow, but I need one to go look for Svana. She's missing." Shadr looked a bit awkward, perhaps not knowing if he had the authority or sanction to just lend an animal, even if it were for just cause. "Please." Madesi added for good measure. Shadr gnawed on his lip for a moment before leaning back and forth uncomfortably.

"I don't know, Madesi. Hofgrir would probably have my hide if I let you do this. The only way I could see him being alright with this at all is if you offered collateral of some sort. Would you be willing to part with some of your merchandise? It's nothing personal. Just business. It'd be returned to you when you got back, provided the horse was still in good condition." Madesi let out a groan in frustration. "I'm sorry, Madesi. If you don't want to do this, why don't you just hire the carriage?"

"It'd take far too long and he doesn't take patrons to villages like Ivarstead. Wait here, I'll be back with your collateral." Madesi replied, exasperatedly before heading back into the city walls. Just a little longer and he'd be on his way, looking for Svana. He just hoped she was still in one piece.

* * *

The most recent Calming spell had worn off quite some time ago, and Svana had been beside herself for the better part of half an hour, Kilrika and Rhiannon explaining the situation to her, informing her on what had happened since being put into an hours long Calm induced trance. There weren't many people at the Vilemyr Inn, the din of the building at a low, even though by now, it was early evening and people should've been delving into their cups. Svana sat perched on the edge of the bed in the room the two women had taken her to, while Kilrika sat on the chair, ankle crossed over her knee, leaning back nonchalantly while Rhiannon leaned against the wall, one foot resting flat against the wall behind her, the other holding her weight while she relaxed with her arms crossed over her chest.

"So as soon as I hear what she has to say, you'll take me back to Riften?" Svana asked, eyes darting between the two women. She doubted anything she'd have to say would change her mind about Sibbi. Although a twinge of doubt circulated through her mind. Would these women really take her all the way out here to Ivarstead if they believed they had any reason to be wrong? She decided she wouldn't dwell on it. She still believed they were wrong. She believed people had gone to greater lengths to prove their points and their so called facts before, only for them to be proved false in one way or another. These two would be no different.

"Of course. Although, we could eat first, if you'd rather. Then we could waste absolutely no time getting you back." Kilrika offered.

"Yes. We'd be back in the city and we'd be able to conduct our business like we'd originally intended." Rhiannon added on, shooting a pointed glare in Kilrika's direction, to which she responded by petulantly making an exaggerated face.

"No. I'd rather get this over with." Svana said resolutely, standing from the bed, beginning to make her way to the lobby of the inn. She was stopped by Rhiannon, who put a firm hand on her shoulder, walking her back to the bed and shoving her down with just enough force to make her sit back where she was.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Rhiannon stared Svana down. Her glower was intimidating, earning a small gulp from the Nord woman, despite being much taller than the woman looking down at her.

"I'm going to hear her out." Svana replied simply.

"Oh no. You can't just do that. You're going to have to be more careful. She won't just openly admit what happened around a group of strangers. We need to be smarter about this than just simply traipsing up to her and asking her what happened in broad daylight." Rhiannon countered, wagging her finger scoldingly. Svana felt a prickle of embarrassment come over her. She didn't even think about that.

"Instead of charging in, we're going to use a simple Calming spell, just like I used on you. You're going to pretend to be asleep while Rhiannon goes to get supplies. If she still won't talk, then I'll just work my magic. Literally." Kilrika grinned, thinking herself very clever. Svana noted this even gleaned a small smirk from Rhiannon. Out of amusement from Kilrika's plan or her behavior, she wasn't sure. "If I have to use my spell, I want to let you know right now that anyone on it has absolutely no reservations about telling the truth. They're calm, and at peace. They temporarily see no harm in spilling their guts. So if and when I cast it, be ready to hear things about your little lover that you don't want to hear."

"Alright." Svana conceded, idly playing with the apron on her skirt, nerves getting the better of her.

"Good. Now, you go ahead and make yourself comfortable while Rhiannon heads out and I go and get our little songbird." Kilrika commanded, positive and friendly, but still left no room for argument. Svana laid down, back towards the other two women and made herself relax, closing her eyes for good measure. "Perfect. You're a natural." Kilrika encouraged, both her and Rhiannon leaving the room. She heard the door to the inn open and shut shortly afterwards while Kilrika's voice could be heard faintly in the lobby. Soon, she was leading Lynly Star-Sung back into the room. Svana focused all her attention on listening to the conversation.

"Alright. Here, go ahead and have a drink. Can't have a decent break without a drink, can you?" Kilrika joked, adding a small giggle afterwards. The other woman let a more uncomfortable one out in return and Svana could hear her sit down in the chair.

"You can't be in here unless you rent the room. You haven't, unfortunately, so I can't have a drink. Not here anyway. If you like, this room is actually vacant and only ten septims a night." Lynly argued. Svana listened, wondering how Kilrika would keep her in here.

"Actually, if I'm being completely honest, my friends and I are only here illegally for a short while longer. we'll pay here in a little bit, I'm sorry. My partner is out selling some of our goods that we've acquired along the way for money to pay for the room, if that's alright. My other friend here was too tired so she simply decided to rest a bit. Please understand." Svana was both appalled and impressed. Appalled at the ease of Kilrika's deceit and how quickly the lie came to her and impressed that it was believable enough for Lynly to lower a bit more of her guard.

"I suppose that is alright." Lynly responded, letting out a small sigh afterwards. "If that's everything, I have to get back to work."

"Actually, there is one more thing." Kilrika stopped her. Lynly let out a curious hum, staying to hear Kilrika out a bit longer. "Your real name is Svidi, isn't it?"

"I-I don't have any idea what you're talking about. You're mistaking me for someone else. I really must be getting back to work now." Lynly's response came out hurried. Worried. Scared. Svana frowned as she listened.

"It's perfectly fine. You have nothing to hide from me. I'll keep your secret safe." Kilrika prodded gently.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Lynly responded immediately afterwards. Svana could hear her stand from the chair, presumably to make a run for it. Kilrika must've grabbed hold of her. "What're you doing? Let go of me!" The bard's voice began to raise as she became more and more frightened.

"I guess I'm going to have to use my magic." Kilrika announced, for the sole purpose of Svana being informed. It was only a moment later when Svana heard someone sit back in the chair and no more sounds of struggle issued from the two of the other women. "Alright. Why don't we try this again? Your real name is Svidi, yes?" Kilrika asked gently.

"Yes." Lynly responded, her voice level, as if she'd just spent the day unwinding in a hot spring and was completely at ease.

"Why don't you tell me what happened between you and Sibbi? Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." Kilrika inquired, letting Lynly speak freely now.

"Sibbi's been spreading lies about me, I just know it. We were supposed to be married. To live together happily forever. I found poetry addressed to him from Svana, that wretched maid from the Bunkhouse." At this, Svana's lips pursed in anger but she kept quiet, listening further. "When I confronted him about it, he threatened to have me killed." Svana's heart skipped a beat. Not Sibbi. Not her Sibbi. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

"I was terrified and told my brother Wulfur about it. He was worried about me and went to set Sibbi straight. He went over unarmed. Sibbi murdered him in cold blood. He didn't even have a weapon and he went over to defend me. Sibbi killed my brother and began telling people I was a whore and a liar. I fled when I found out. I've been here ever since." There was a pause. "And now you're going to tell him where I am." Her voice lowered to where it was just barely above a whisper but Svana heard her.

"Of course not. I just wanted to hear the other side of the story. He won't hear a thing from me, I promise." Kilrika assured. There was another pause before a patting sound could be heard before Lynly stood up from the chair once more. "Now go, resume your work. You have nothing to worry about." Kilrika gently led the other woman out of the room, leaving Svana by herself. A moment later, Kilrika came back to the room and prodded Svana to turn back over to face her.

"There you have it. Poor woman was crying despite the spell. This impacted her that harshly." Kilrika sat down on the edge of the bed with Svana, careful not to sit down on any part of her anatomy. "Hope that's clarification enough."

Svana couldn't believe it. Everyone else had been right. She was wrong.

Sibbi. Her Sibbi. Her love and the man she held so dear was a murderer.

* * *

 **A/N:** So I'm sorry it took so long to get this updated. I finally buckled down and got it out there though, and I hope it was worth the wait.

A Dragonborn and her friend/travelling partner were introduced here. I hope they are well recieved. :)

Thank you to my readers and reviewers for sticking with me even through my inconsistency. I love you all and I love that people enjoy my work. I hope to turn out a lot of projects in the future that people like. Fingers crossed, right? :}c

The third and final chapter is in production.


	3. Chapter 3

Svana wanted to cry. She wanted to yell. She wanted to wake up and go see her beloved and tell herself this was all some awful and sour hallucination her mind had conjured in comatose, right down to the two women meeting her today. Perhaps she was still at the Bunkhouse and had fallen asleep while making the beds?

But it wasn't that easy. Several harsh pinches on her skin confirmed that she was, indeed, awake and had really heard a very unpleasant and true testimony from Sibbi's former fiance. He was a murderer, everyone was right about the accusations of him being one, and Svana felt crushed. How could this happen? She still wanted to doubt that any of it was true, but after feeling and experiencing the effects of Kilrika's calming spell, she knew it wasn't a lie.

The shock was still rolling over Svana as she sat on the bed at the Vilemyr Inn, Kilrika right next to her, never having moved from the spot after she came back to the room, escorting Lynly, better known as Svidi, back to her duties. Rhiannon still hadn't come back from running her errands and gathering supplies. Not that Svana really wanted the extra company at the moment. She didn't even really want Kilrika there. She wanted to stay here alone and wallow in what she had just lost. Or maybe wallow in what she thought she had but never did in the first place. Of course this would be her luck. Losing her family, her freedom, and her love. If she were even more foolish, she'd raise her face skyward to Aetherius and ask "What's next?".

"This is hard for you to take in, I can tell. My sympathies." Kilrika offered, however uncomfortable she sounded. She also, however, sounded sincerely sympathetic to Svana's woes. Svana stayed silent, earning a tired sigh. Kilrika looked around the room, not looking at Svana, crossing her ankle over her knee once more. "For what it's worth, I think it's better you find out this way instead of...by other means." Kilrika drew out a bit slowly, as if trying to walk across eggshells with the other woman. Svna, once again, said nothing, preferring to study the patterns the dirt smudges in her apron made. How could she go back to Riften? How could she face everyone knowing she'd been wrong this whole time? What would she do when Sibbi was released? It was something that was starting to make her unwell, and she felt the roiling feeling of nausea and unease begin to stir in her gut. She worried she actually would be sick.

"I feel-" Svana cut off, pressing the palm of her hand to her mouth, feeling bile begin to stir and rise. Mara's mercy, she really was going to be sick. Kilrika acted swiftly, shifting in her pack for a potion, thick, and red in a small vial. Popping the cork off with ease, Kilrika rushed the vial into Svana's free hand. The latter rushed the lip of the vial without preamble, the liquid slowly easing its way into her mouth and past her throat. She was pleased it wasn't bitter, but sweet. Honey, perhaps? Within moments of ingesting the concoction, Svana's stomach felt at ease once more. More than she could say for the rest of her.

"Would you be able to make it back to Riften on your own?" Kilrika inquired, turning slightly to face Svana a bit better, studying her reaction.

This, for some reason broke the Nord woman. She sobbed, eyes watering, letting out two small and steady streams of brine as she wept. Her crying seemed to startle Kilrika, who quite literally jumped a bit before trying to comfort the other woman. She patted her back gently, trying to soothe her frayed nerves. Svana still wept, not knowing what exactly had caused her to break out in a crying fit. Was it the prospect of going back at all? Was it going back to her aunt, who would have nothing to say but a mouth full of "I told you so"s? Would it be going back to where he was and being so close to him knowing what he did and knowing now that she had so stupidly believed him? Or was it that despite that, she still wanted to see him?

"There, there. I understand." Kilrika kept patting, once again fishing in her pack, pulling out a bottle of Stros M'Kai rum, swishing the liquid around, the liquid making a sloshing and slight clinging sound as she did so. "Want some? This will help for the time being." Kilrika offered, a small grin beginning to take over her features. Without hesitation, Svana snatched the bottle, pulling off the cork with purpose and taking a healthy swig, wincing at the harsh burn of the liquid. "Well alright then. Usually there's coaxing involved with this kind of thing. Then again, you are a fellow Nord, so." Svana shot Kilrika a sour look before taking another gulp, letting out a harsh breath of air afterwards, licking her lips to capture stray drops of the alcohol.

Kilrika ceased her patting right around the time when Rhiannon and an unexpected face came back into the inn.

"Svana." Madesi's voice registered. Svana's head perked up upon hearing a familiar and welcome voice. He was standing beside a less than pleased Rhiannon, who had a roughspun sack slung over her shoulder. She didn't have that when she left. Must have been given to her while on her supply run. Madesi looked relieved to have found her, his shoulders relaxing with a sigh he let out, both of which seemed to be kept with him for a while. "Thank the Divines I found you."

"Well I suppose that leaves our side job done." Rhiannon stated, giving a look to Kilrika that told the other woman it was high time they left. The latter of the two let out a huff through her nose, annoyed that Rhiannon was being so pushy. "She has someone else to make sure she's safe. Let's go." Rhiannon spoke Kilrika's concerns, the latter letting out a long suffering sigh before standing, giving Svana a pat on the back once more before joining Rhiannon at the doorway, letting Madesi in the room.

"You have coin for a room tonight?" Kilrika asked Madesi, who regarded her briefly, eyes widening a bit in realization before shaking his head no.

"No I don't. I don't have anything of value on me, unfortunately. I left too quickly to do much packing." He answered, voice on edge. This was the woman from the market that morning. The one with the sly grin and the wicked and pleased look of a thief.

"Well I'll see if I can work something out." Kilrika said before ushering herself out of the doorway before Rhiannon could protest. The Breton pursed her lips, eyes widening slightly in irritation, dropping her pack to the ground to punctuate her point as she watched her partner take off towards the counter, "bargaining" with the innkeeper. This included some shameless flirting, which resulted in the man willingly giving the room to them for free for the night, so long as she promised she and Rhiannon would be back before he dozed off. She lied, promising she would before returning back to the room. "It's all yours. Rhiannon and I are heading out. We have things to do, unfortunately." Kilrika offered a grin before turning to Svana, her eyes softening a bit. "Chin up. There's better ones out there. Hopefully our paths cross once more." She bid farewell before she and Rhiannon left the inn, leaving Madesi and Svana alone in the room.

Svana looked at Madesi, who stood there, watching her for a moment before she began to sniff, feeling another bout of crying coming on. She crossed the room to give him a hug, arms coming around his waist, chin resting on his shoulder. Madesi returned the embrace almost instantly, although he wasn't sure why she was upset. She didn't want to cry in front of him. She didn't want to break down for the second time in only a few short moments.

"What happened? The other woman wasn't really clear-"

"Everyone was right, Madesi. Sibbi is a murderer!" Svana felt her eyes sting, so to try and abate it she lowered her head so her eyes were closed and pressed right above his collar bone. Madesi rubbed comforting circles on Svana's back, still not understanding what happened. Svana had apparently had some kind of revelation in the time she'd been here but how? And why? He thought it was best not to pry, especially since she seemed so upset. "I feel so foolish." She let out bitterly. His heart went out to her once again, feeling her pain. She was tired and somehow she'd been heartbroken by events unknown to him. He let her weep once more and carry out the embrace until she was ready to let go, finally facing him with puffy red eyes and brine covered cheeks that made his chest ache.

His body acted unbidden, a hand reaching up to gently catch one of her tears with one of his fingers. He wanted to do more. He wanted to sweep his thumb along her cheek and press his forehead to hers as a lover would and tell her she'd be okay. That she wasn't foolish and that he was there for her. Deciding it was too soon to do all of these things, he chose to pick one and focus on that for the time being.

"You aren't foolish. You believed he was good. You wanted to see good in him despite the bad everyone had been saying. That isn't foolish, it's being a good person Svana. As I said before, your heart is too kind for a place like Riften." Svana took in a shuddering breath, still shaken from her sobbing. She said nothing, choosing instead to embrace him once more, which he returned. This time, he kept his hands still, once again letting her carry on the embrace as long as she needed to before she broke free. She looked to be calming down at least. He didn't know how long it would last, but at least she was calming down for now. "You should get some rest. You look exhausted." Madesi suggested, nodding to the bed.

Svana nodded, shuffling slowly back to the bed and slowly laying down. Madesi offered a small, sympathetic smile as he crossed the room to sit on the chair, glad that she was trying to get some rest. She settled in, tucking herself under the blanket, staring at the wall ahead for a moment before frowning, looking back at Madesi.

"Where will you sleep?" She asked, her voice sounding softer and smaller than usual.

"The floor is fine." He suggested casually, not worried in the slightest about his accomodations. He was no stranger to sleeping on the ground, after all. At least in a warm inn was an improvement from the cold damp of Beggar's Row back in Riften. He didn't mind that place much either, but it was nice to trade in the underground for something like this once and a while. Svana looked displeased with his comment, eyebrows pulling down into a frown, and a strong one at that.

"You should ask for a bed roll. You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor." She chastised gently, stern look ever present on her features. Madesi let out a soft chuckle before he got off the chair, moving to sit on the floor beside the bed, offering her a look that hopefully conveyed that he was just fine before he laid down on the ground. Though the floor was hard and uncomfortable, he had endured worse before.

"I'm not heading to sleep just yet, Svana. It's still a few hours before I usually do. You, however, need the extra rest. Take advantage of it." He coaxed, leaning over to grab the book sitting on the nearby table before sitting back against the edge of the bed, opting to read in the meantime. Svana took in a shuddering breath, still recovering from her crying and moved her hand to the edge of the bed.

"Give me your hand." Her voice was soft with her demand. He looked back at her, a brow ridge raised slightly in question.

"Hm?"

"Give me your hand. Please." She repeated. He blinked at her for a moment, a little surprised with her request, but conceded with a small smile of his own, placing his hand over hers. She let out a contented hum as he did so. Her lips quirked up slightly for a moment, which he was grateful for. He was relieved that he could bring her even a small amount of comfort. He continued to read, running his thumb over the back of her hand gently until she fell asleep. He could hear her even breathing but mere minutes later. He was right in assuming she had been tired. Poor thing probably had a pitiful sleep schedule.

Deciding to test his luck a little, he turned around, and sat up on his knees, leaning over her and pressing a kiss to her forehead, continuing to smooth his thumb in nonsensical patterns over her hand.

"Sleep well, Svana." He said gently, his voice just barely above a whisper. In the morning, they'd head out and she'd be reunited with her aunt. The thought gave him a bit of anxiety. Aedra only knew if Haelga would be understanding or if she would be coarse about her niece's condition. Even if she were understanding, he very much doubted that Haelga would continue to be for very long before she began to demand her niece become her live-in maid. He unconsciously stopped stroking her hand and grabbed it, giving a gentle squeeze.

He didn't know if he could watch Svana run herself ragged any longer. Not that he had much choice, of course. Be that as it may, it was really difficult to watch from afar as someone suffered with one's hands tied. Especially when that someone meant as much to him as she did. Sighing softly, he turned back around, leaning against the bed once more, Svana's hand still under his. He resumed reading until his eyelids became heavy and sleep claimed him.

Madesi was the first to awaken, eyes opening slowly, familiarizing himself with his surroundings. Inn room. Memories from the day previous began to chain themselves together as he sat up, stretching out tired and somewhat sore muscles caused by sleeping in such an awkward way. Svana found out about Sibbi and she and Madesi stayed in this inn room overnight. He wondered what time it had been. A quick trip out of the inn told him that by the position of the sun, it was probably about eight in the morning. Svana had been sleeping for over twelve hours already.

He decided she should probably wake up. Trekking back into the inn, he made his way back into the room and gently shook her from slumber. Her eyelashes fluttered as she woke up, assessing the area around her just as he had done. It didn't take her long to realize that she was in a different room than her own, eyebrows coming together in confusion. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand.

"Sleep well?" Madesi asked, wondering how she'd be at this point in time. Probably not great, all things considered. Understandable, given what she went through the day previous.

"I feel disoriented. How long did I sleep?" She asked, slowly draping her legs over the side of the bed, stretching out her arms over her head as she did so.

"From what I can tell, around thirteen hours." Madesi replied casually. The surprised sound that came from her mouth was both comical and adorable as her eyes went wide.

"I've never slept that long before."

"It's understandable, given circumstance." Madesi reasoned out loud, refusing to meet her gaze as he finished his sentence. She fell silent, most likely recalling yesterday as a whole. He could see it on her face as piece by piece of the day prior fell together in her memory. It felt like a full hour before she spoke again.

"Are you going to take me back today, then?" Svana asked, a bit of bite to her question. Madesi chewed on his tongue, contemplating his answer a bit before giving it.

"I don't want you to return before you're ready. However, I can't help but wonder what state Haelga would be in. I'm worried about how she'll treat you upon your return. Maybe the sooner we get back-"

"To the Void with that wretched woman!" Svana's voice raised, her cheeks reddening. Her eyes began to water and Madesi knew he probably shouldn't have said anything. "I'm so sick of her and everyone else in Riften! Everyone is either corrupt, or too busy complaining to do much of anything about it. Even the guards. I can't remember the last time I had been able to sleep for more than six hours because I'm too busy upkeeping my aunt's business! Not to mention what will happen when Sibbi gets out. What will happen when he does? Will I still want to be with him? Or will I say the wrong thing, or do the wrong thing and end up like-" She trailed off, her body overcome with intense sobbing.

Madesi climbed on the bed with her, hand trying to soothe frayed nerves by squeezing and rubbing the shoulder closest to him. Words weren't coming to him, so he simply hoped the gesture would be comforting enough, though he wished he could do more.

Or maybe he could.

"We don't have to go back immediately, you know." He offered. Svana tried to rein in her crying to look at him, cheeks stained with brine, eyes puffy, with red cheeks, and lips to match.

"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning all the while. Madesi lifted a shoulder before answering her.

"Perhaps we could stay here another day or two. It would do you some good, after all. You could catch up on your sleep and grieve as much as you need to in the meantime. Svana took in a shaky breath, eyebrows shooting up.

"What about your stall?" She asked. He briefly thought back to his stall. How he left his merchandise under his stall in the strongbox. He probably should've brought it with him. He hoped no one would think to take anything, however much of a long shot that was.

"I'll send word to Mjoll and see if she'd be willing to keep an eye on everything while I'm gone." He replied, none too happy about having to leave everything where it was. The Guild would no doubt take notice of his absence and his hard work would be easy pickings if Mjoll turned her back long enough. He could make everything over again, but it would be a massive pain. Svana's face lit up at that, with her leaning into him, head rested on his shoulder with both of her arms encircling his waist. Maybe this was more important for the time being.

"I can't thank you enough, Madesi. You've been so kind to me." Madesi let out a soft laugh at this, but said nothing, returning the embrace with one arm. Anything he would have wanted to say simply didn't feel like it would've fit this situation. Either too much or too little. So he stayed silent, prepared to stay there with her for the better part of the rest of this week.

The next three days went by somewhat smoothly. The first two were the hardest for Svana, for sure. The poor girl spent most of the time in the inn room sleeping, or crying. Occasionally, she'd read, and she picked at the food offered to her. Madesi decided he'd earn his keep at the inn by helping out at the farm there in town. It was laborious, but worth it to make sure Svana could get some rest.

The third day, Svana was still upset, clearly, but her dark circles looked much better. She cried less, although still enough to make Madesi's heart ache. He was prepared to stay there as long as she needed to, however. Madesi had been at work uprooting some crops from the farm's plot of land when Svana had come out of the inn, walking down the dirt path that ran through the small village. He stopped when she came into view, admiring her for a moment. Still lovely. Midday sun shone down on the town and made her hair shine. Wilhelm had been gracious enough to lend her a simple dress that a past patron had left behind. Long and light green, it came to her ankles and cinched at her waist. The fabric draped off of her shoulders, and had long, bell-like sleeves. Breton make by the look of it. It suited her better than the rags she had to wear back in Riften. When Svana had been asleep the night previous, he cleaned as much of it as he could. He reasoned that she'd have to go back to wearing it when they got back to Riften, and had cringed when the damage was worse than he thought, a cloud of grime made in the river just by running the garments under the water for a moment.

Fastred took note of Madesi's pause and followed his gaze. A small smile graced her lips as she too, paused and turned to speak with him directly.

"That's her, then?" She asked. Madesi cleared his throat and nodded, going back to work before Svana could catch him looking. "She's lovely." Fastred resumed her work as well, but slower than before. She let out a sigh, akin to that of someone who routinely had their head in the clouds. "How long do you plan on staying here?"

"I don't know. However long it takes for her to feel better." Once again, Fastred stopped, leaning against the hoe she was using, her smile growing. He shot her a sidelong glance before focusing back on his work.

"You're really sweet, you know. I hope you two get to stay here for a while. It's good having a couple new faces to talk to."

Madesi smiled at her, nodding in agreement, both of them falling back into their work.

Svana had loved the village. Small, but it had a good sense of community that Riften had sorely lacked in. She could get used to staying here, that was for sure. As she walked along the path, she saw Madesi working with another two women and a man; Fastred and what Svana had assumed to be her family. He'd been so nice to her lately. She didn't even know where to begin thanking him for this. The time away from Riften it seems, is just what she needed. Wilhelm the innkeeper was a bit sore that Kilrika and Rhiannon had left him high and dry, but had been understanding when Madesi explained the situation further. Even more so when Madesi paid back what had been owed for the stay by working at the farm. The people here were nice. Bored. A tad bitter that it seemed the only visitors they had were pilgrims, but they were still nice nonetheless. She had seen the darker haired woman working with Madesi come to the inn with another man. Handsome and had a certain way with words. She could only hope he was better than Sibbi. Fastred was a sweet girl.

A hand rested on Svana's shoulder, causing her to stop and face whoever halted her. It was Wilhelm. Svana offered a weary, but what she hoped was still a friendly smile.

"Wilhelm. I must have forgotten to bid you good morning. Apologies." She said. Wilhelm waved his hand, dismissing it.

"I'm afraid I have bad news for you and Madesi." He started, causing Svana's small smile to fade completely.

"Oh?"

"My rooms are full. A traveller just came through and rented out the last room I have. First come first served. I'm afraid there's no extra room for the two of you." Svana let out a short sigh, nodding in understanding.

"Of course. I'll let Madesi know right away. Thank you for letting me know. And for your hospitality. Just let me get our things." She said. Wilhelm acquiesced, letting Svana retrieve her other dress, and any food or drink they could take with them. They didn't have much else with them.

As soon as their room had been cleared out, Svana made her way back to the farm to inform Madesi of their situation.

She stopped nearing the farm. Madesi seemed to be working pretty hard. Today was a fairly temperate day, especially for Skyrim weather. He seemed to be working up a bit of a sweat, lifting his shirt to wipe off his face a bit before resuming his work. Svana found herself stopping, observing him as he did so. She'd never seen the body of an Argonian before. She was surprised to see that he was in pretty good shape. She wondered how he managed that. Maybe he did some kind of workout once and a while outside of Riften. Darker green scales decorated his body. It was strangely beautiful. Argonians certainly deserved better than they got from the majority of the province, that was for sure.

"Svana. What are you doing?" Madesi asked, noticing the amount of things in her arms as she walked down the path. Their things. What was going on? He leaned against the hoe he used, offering her a confused, but friendly smile.

"Wilhelm rented out the last room to a traveller. Sorry Madesi. Looks like we're going to have to go back to Riften." Madesi nodded, and rested the hoe against the fencing.

"I see. Well then it looks like we better get back to Riften." He replied. Svana noted the resigned edge to his tone and couldn't help but think that maybe he didn't fully want to go back either. But they had to. Nearest settlement other than Ivarstead was Shor's Stone, but the place had no inn. They couldn't stay there. They had no choice but to go back to the squalor that was Riften; and the rest of the day was spent slowly doing so, neither of them saying much of anything the whole way back.

It was sundown when Madesi and Svana finally made it back into the city. True enough, Haelga was furious. Svana was surprised to find that the older woman held her anger whilst out in public, but as soon as the doors to the Bunkhouse were closed, Svana got the scolding and workload of a lifetime, along with a good smack to the face. That night was spent catching the Bunkhouse up on any missed maintenance while she was gone, scrubbing until the sun came up again and her fingers were raw and cracking.

Morning found Madesi wandering through the doors of the Bunkhouse to check on Svana, only to find her passed out on her knees slumped over the bench to one of the tables. Frowning, he crept up to her and gently awoke her. It was still early, so Haelga would still be asleep for a while yet. Svana's eyes fluttered open before she started, panic seeping into her features.

"Sorry I was just resting." She let out hurriedly. Madesi hardly caught what she said, she spoke so quickly. When she realized it was Madesi who stirred her from slumber, she relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh Madesi. It's you. Good. I thought you were Haelga."

"I gathered that. Why were you sleeping out here?" It was then that Madesi noticed the welt on her cheek that hadn't been there the day before. He knew exactly where it had come from but the question came from his mouth anyway. "What happened to your face?"

"Haelga was as angry as I thought she'd be. I've been catching up on chores that I missed for the last three days." Madesi felt his blood boil and itch with anger. How dare she?!

"Would you be able to leave? Get a house of your own? At least then you wouldn't be under her roof and made to obey her every whim. You deserve better than this." He reached out to smooth her hair away from her face.

"Do you think I haven't thought of that?" She asked bitterly, a yawn overtaking her before she spoke again. "I don't have any money, otherwise I would've long ago."

Madesi stayed silent for a moment, watching as Svana stood up, continuing her work from the night previous. The poor girl had had enough lately and he wasn't about to just be an observer any longer. As he stood there, watching her, an idea formed in his head. He didn't like the idea, not really; but if he was correct, it would put Haelga in her place and stop her from working her niece like a slave.

With that, he bid her a good day and went straight to the Ratway, following the damp, musty tunnels down to the Ragged Flagon. He was regarded with suspicion by the people there, all clad in Thieves' Guild cuirasses, save for Vekel the Man. Madesi approached the counter, opting to speak with the barkeep personally.

"I'm looking to hire someone for a job. Would Rhiannon or Kilrika be here?" Madesi asked. Vekel narrowed his eyes at him, cleaning a tankard with a threadbare cloth.

"If you're looking to hire one of our own, you need to speak with one of the Guild heads. Vex or Delvin here would be able to help. Brynjolf is out taking care of a mark at the moment." Madesi let out a huff of annoyance. Turning around, he scanned the faces there, trying to discern which of them were the people Vekel had spoken of. The sound of a door opening nearby drew his attention to a familiar redhead rounding the corner.

"Rhiannon. Are you busy?" Madesi asked, crossing the area to her. She frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked different from how he last saw her, her clothing exchanged for a cuirass matching the Guild, lighter grey and missing the sleeves.

"You're the Argonian that came looking for Svana the other day. How is she doing? Still weeping over the pile of horker dung rotting in the prisons?"Her eyebrow raised during her inquiry and Madesi had to hold his tongue, lest he say something that would make her refuse to take his offer.

"She is...not well." He spoke carefully, not wanting to say the wrong thing or reveal too much to a stranger who he knew didn't fully care about her. "I actually came to offer you a job." This seemed to pique her interest.

"Oh? And what would that be?" She asked, leaning against the wall, ankles crossed.

"I need you to do some digging and see if you could find a way to make Haelga back off of Svana. Poor girl is being run ragged over at the Bunkhouse and I'm unequipped to do such a thing, otherwise I'd have done it already." At this, the Breton woman let out a soft breath of laughter, her lips quirked up in a smirk.

"The Dibellan fanatic? Sure I'll do it. That is, if I'm being paid well enough." She pointed a slender finger towards him and raised her eyebrow. "Have anything of value on you?" He frowned at that, shaking his head a bit in confusion.

"No I tend not to carry my valuables or merchandise on my person." At that, she hummed and nodded, lifting a shoulder in a shrug.

"I don't like to work unless I'm paid upfront. Sorry."

"You can't be serious." He said, exasperated. "You can't just expect to be paid for something you haven't done yet." She scoffed at this and he felt his hands tighten into fists.

"Thieves operate differently. How much does putting her in her place mean to you?" She asked. At this, he stayed silent. She nodded after a moment, an affirmative sound coming from her lips. "That's what I thought. Come back with something worth my services and we'll talk further. I'll be here the rest of the day."

"What about Kilrika?" He asked, eager to possibly hire someone who was more reasonable. At this she barked out a laugh, pushing herself from the wall.

"None of the Thieves Guild will do much of anything without some kind of outright payment. Besides, she's busy doing work for Delvin. Should be back by tomorrow if you're set on having her instead." That smirk she gave him afterwards. Infuriating. Cocksure, headstrong woman. Madesi let out a short sigh in resignation.

"Fine. I'll be back." Madesi turned to walk back along the path leading back into the ratway.

"And I'll be waiting with baited breath." She called after him, furthering his vexation.

A mere half hour later, Madesi trekked back to the Ragged Flagon, holding an ebony ring with a garnet setting. Another one of his more expensive pieces. Ebony was never cheap. If Rhiannon wanted payment upfront, this should do nicely. She was sitting at the bar when he got back, ankles crossed on the barstool next to her, reading a book and drinking from a bottle of Black-Briar reserve. She didn't see him until he was right in front of her, prompting her to raise a finger as her eyes scanned the page until she found a stopping point, setting the book down and looking up at him, a cool expression on her face.

"Let's see what you've got." She said as he handed her the ring. Her face remained disinterested as she put the ring on her finger, admiring it at arms' length, moving her hand at different angles to catch the light on the gemstone. "This is nice. I think I'll have it enchanted. You've got yourself a deal."

"Excellent. Thank you." He turned to walk away but was stopped by a hand grabbing his arm.

"Ah ah ah. Not so fast. I need more information. I can't very well go back to the Bunkhouse to steal the statue. Already tried that once. She won't let me back in the building, at least not for long. Do you have anything I can use to my advantage?" At this, Madesi frowned, equal parts confused and displeased.

"I thought you would be able to find something out on your own?" At this she shot him a pointed look, a slight scowl on her face.

"I'm a thief, not a spy. Give me something or It'll be that much harder for me to do my job. Might demand more payment."

"Fine. Svana told me that she gives her lovers marks of Dibella. Tokens of her affection. She doesn't want word to get around town that she practices the Dibellan arts as...often as she does." Rhiannon nodded in understanding, back to admiring the ring.

"That's a start. Do you have names?"

"Bolli is the only one I know about. Svana's seen him leave the Bunkhouse more than once. Sorry I don't have more. I try not to put my nose in business it doesn't belong in." Rhiannon gave a close-mouthed smile, her eyes twinkling as she looked back up at him.

"But you seem more than willing to do it for Svana." Madesi felt his face warm, but said nothing. "Relax, lover boy. I'll get her mortification for you on a big silver platter. You and Svana will be reaping the rewards in no time." She swung her legs off the barstool, stood up, and walked through the back of the Ragged Flagon.

"How long will this take?" Madesi asked as she walked away.

"Nocturnal willing, I'll have this done before nightfall." The sound of a door shutting echoed through the underground space as she went on to do her work. With nothing left to do, Madesi elected to return above ground to await what would happen next.

Gathering the marks didn't take much effort. A simple flick of her talented fingers into a few pockets and Rhiannon had a handful of Marks of Dibella ready to present to the distributer herself. She walked through the doors of the Bunkhouse, and the sour look on Haelga's face as she did so was one that Rhiannon would undoubtedly remember for a long while.

"Oh. It's you. Come to extort more from me?" Haelga asked bitterly, counting out a bag of coin. Rhiannon laughed, a false smile stretching her lips.

"Funny you should ask." Rhiannon said, emptying her hand over the counter, three marks of Dibella clattering on the wood surface. Haelga's face shifted immediately, one from disgust to horror as she looked up from the marks on the counter.

"Where did you get these?" At this, Rhiannon shrugged, leaning over the counter.

"Where do you think I got them, Haelga? And you know what?" She leaned over further, mere inches from the woman's face. "I'm willing to bet a hundred septims that there's more where these came from around town. Perhaps I should put a whisper into a few ears; see how fast this spreads around?"

"No. Please. If word gets out that I've been practicing my Dibellan arts, it could ruin me."

"Then maybe you should keep your libido more in check. In return for my silence, I expect you to lay off your niece. Give her lighter work loads. Don't hit her anymore. Let. Her. Sleep." Rhiannon was practically growling, her voice sounding like her tongue was cured with jarrin root. "And let her go outside more often. Everyone needs fresh air and obviously, here, it's in short supply." Rhiannon pushed herself back off the counter, standing upright. "Also, I'll be taking all of these." She said, scooping the gold coins into her hands and depositing them into a pocket on her cuirass.

"You can't take that! That's rent from one of my occupants." Haelga frowned, trying to grab her coins back.

"Consider it a payment for my silence on the matter." Rhiannon stated casually, rounding the corner and heading upstairs. "Don't mind me." She called down from the top of the stairs. Svana was in one of the rooms, cleaning the bed furs. Rhiannon approached silently. So silently, in fact, that Svana didn't even see her until she stood upright. Her reaction was a comical yelp and a step backwards, hand on her chest.

"Rhiannon? Wha-what are you doing here?" Svana asked, moving to another bed to resume her work. Rhiannon followed her, sitting on the very bed Svana was trying to work on, earning the ire of the taller young woman. "This isn't funny."

"On the contraire. I think it's kind of funny." Rhiannon said casually. Svana cast a glare to the Breton woman, cleaning what space of the bed she could. "I actually came to talk to you." This caused Svana to stop, looking at Rhiannon inquisitively. "Haelga should be taking it easier on you from now on."

"What do you mean?" Svana asked, searching Rhiannon's eyes for falseness in what she had just said.

"That friend of yours, Madesi. I guess he must have been upset with how Haelga was acting. Can't say I blame him. He hired me to make sure she stops. Now, I don't ever do this, get further involved in the personal side of things, I mean. But in this case, I made an exception. I'm telling you so that you don't end up giving gratitude to the wrong person. I did the heavy lifting, but it was Madesi who hired me. He's the one you should thank." With that, Rhiannon stood back up, leaving the room without another word.

Svana stood there, dumbfounded in the middle of the room. What was she to do now? Perhaps test her luck? See if she could leave and go tell Madesi thank you? The thought of Madesi hiring someone to intimidate Haelga into being less harsh on her...Svana didn't know what to make of it. It seemed so out of character for him to do something like that. Why would he do something like this? It was something that she pondered as she finished the bed she was working on before heading downstairs for food.

"You did _what?_" Madesi was at his stall, in the middle of closing when Rhiannon came by dressed in normal attire.

"You heard me." Rhiannon said flippantly, waving her hand in dismissal before crossing her arms across her chest. Madesi stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath to regain what little composure he could.

"Why? Why did you tell her?"

"So that she could thank you properly. Why else would you have gone through the trouble?" Rhiannon asked.

"So she could be happier. Healthier. You didn't have to tell her I hired you to accomplish that." With that, Madesi stored the last of his inventory as discreetly as he could in front of her before walking around the stall.

"You're being difficult to be difficult." Rhiannon argued. "What's done is done. I did your job. You never said I had to keep quiet about it." Her arms dropped to her side, her chin high, giving her a more dignified stance.

"It should go without saying-"

"What's done. Is. Done." She repeated, bowing slightly. "Good night, Madesi. Good luck with Svana." Her playful tone belied her borderline blank expression as she took her leave, heading to the Temple of Mara. Madesi watched her go for a moment before heading to the Bee and Barb. He didn't feel like seeing Svana just yet. He didn't want to risk facing possible disappointment from her. Once inside the building, he paid Keerava for a bottle of ale and opted to sit at the backmost table, drinking slowly.

A hand rested on his shoulder gently, squeezing a little, causing Madesi to turn around to look up at who this mystery person was. A rush of happiness overtook him upon seeing Svana.

"Svana. Out of the Bunkhouse. Is Haelga...busy...again?" Madesi asked the question awkwardly and understandably so. Svana simply shook her head, putting her free hand on his other shoulder.

"No, actually. I just..." She shrugged, chuckling in disbelief. "I just walked out. She let me. Didn't say a word." She paused again. He let out an affirmative sound, nodding and taking another drink of his ale. Svana rocked to the forefront of her feet for a moment before standing flat-footed again. "And that's not all. I had the opportunity to catch up on last nights' lost sleep. She didn't scold me. I didn't finish the list of chores she told me to do. She didn't complain and tell me to get to work. And..." She leaned forward, her arms snaking around his neck loosely, her chin resting on his shoulder. "What's more...I hear I have you to thank for her sudden generosity." Her tone held a teasing edge to it. She didn't sound disappointed in the slightest.

"I...yes. I hired Rhiannon so she could obtain leverage in your favor. It was underhanded, I know."

"No need to be ashamed, Madesi." Svana soothed gently. "In fact, I owe you a lot for what you did." She walked around the table, pulling up the chair across from him and sat down, elbows propped up with her chin resting in her palms. "There's no way in Oblivion that she would've let me get away with any of those things if she hadn't been put in her place. So thank you." She spoke gently, her words sincere and genuine, her face lit up and warm as ever. He felt honored to be on the receiving end of it.

"You're welcome, Svana." Madesi answered, hand still firmly on his bottle of ale, offering a small smile in return. She grasped his hand, tracing back and forth over smooth scaled skin with the pad of her thumb. She stared at the hands for a moment, weighing what to say next.

"I don't know how to properly thank you for this." She admitted. "Saying the words just seems to small for what kindness you've offered me lately." Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked up and saw him watching her. He waited patiently for her to finish speaking. "Not just with Haelga. You were there for me when I found out about Sebbi, and you stayed with me in Ivarstead. You made me this beautiful pendant," She grabbed said jewelry and fiddled with the setting, the metal and gemstones catching the dim candlelight. "You've been...so good to me." She said softly.

A small silence hung in the air around them for a moment before she found herself sitting up out of her seat, leaning over the table. Madesi held his breath, unable and unwilling to move. Her eyes closed, lips pressing softly to his. By now, his blood was pumping loudly behind his ears, the thudding apparent in his chest as well. His other hand reached up to cup her neck, the pad of his thumb tracing her jawline as gently as he could.

The sweet kiss ended moments after. Svana and Madesi searched each others' eyes, wondering what to do next. Madesi smiled, stroking a hand through her hair. The red tresses slipped through his fingers easily. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of pink that Madesi admired. She let out a soft laugh and pressed her forehead against his.

"Let's get out of here." She suggested. He chuckled in response, getting up from the table, offering a hand for her to take, which she did without hesitation.

"You read my mind." With that, they left the inn, and made their way towards the gates of Riften. Whatever adventure awaited them, they'd find it. Together.


End file.
